Fighting is common among adolescents and their siblings. But that’s only one way they can communicate. There’s also helping, sharing, teaching, and playing. A study found that an average of 10 hours a week is spent with a sibling. When favoritism happens between siblings, it can cause a low self-esteem and sadness in the less favored.
Someone close in age, like a sibling, can understand the adolescent’s problems and can communicate better than the parents. However, high conflict between siblings can be detrimental, especially when ineffective parenting is also present. This is shown (between 10-12) to be linked to antisocial behavior and poor peer relationships. In addition, another study found that increased sibling conflict could be linked to increased depression.
Siblings spend way less time together when they near adulthood. Mixed feelings are still common, but when siblings move out of the house, contact with their brothers/sisters becomes more optional and their relationships become less emotionally tense.
Firstborns are, according to a recent review, the most intelligent, achieving, and conscientious, while later-borns are the most rebellious, liberal, and agreeable . They are also more adult-oriented, helpful, conforming, and self-controlled. However, overall, later-borns have better peer relationships. Middle-borns tend to be more diplomatic, sometimes performing the role of negotiator during fights. The “baby” tends to run the risk of becoming dependent.
Researchers have discovered that sibling temperament traits, as well as favoritism-like treatment by parents, influence how siblings get along. Siblings with “easy” temperaments that are treated equally tend to get along best. The opposite can be said for differential treatment with “difficult” siblings.

The period of adolescence is challenging for every teen, but many adopted adolescents face unique challenges during this time. Every adopted child comes with a past, both bad and good, which affects the teen years in different ways.

Issues

*Identity: every teen struggles to find who they are as an individual (their beliefs, appearance, interests). Adopted teens have the added challenge of having no blood relations to compare themselves to. They may feel disconnected from their adoptive parents because they don't look or act like them (especially in trans-racial adoptions). They may also search for their birth parents to better understand their own identity

*Developmental delays: experts disagree as to how much adoption affects the emotional and psychological health of the adolescent. Living in institutions and foster homes during childhood can have an affect on teens, but how severely the teen is affected depends on the individual and their adoptive family.
*29% of domestically adopted boys were diagnosed with ADHD, compared with 8% of non-adopted teens and 19% international
*15 % of domestically adopted boys had conduct disorder, compared with 6% of non-adoptees and 8% of international adoptees

*Abandonment: adopted teens are less likely to desire autonomy (leaving home) than their non-adopted peers. Many are afraid of losing their adoptive parents like they've lost their birth parents.

*Abuse and Neglect: children adopted at an older age, are more likely to have a history of neglect or abuse or find it difficult to attach to parent-figures after being placed in several foster-homes. Teens who've suffered from traumatic pasts need the help of both their adoptive parents and a therapist.

How Can Parents Help?

Parents should have a system of open communication with their adopted children from the beginning. Through open communication, teens will feel more inclined to talk about their unique struggles. Many experts suggest that parents start talking about adoption to their child early on, realizing that their child may have concerns (related to adoption) that they will have to deal with in the future.

Conclusion
Adolescence is a challenging time for everyone, adopted teens included. The adopted teen may or may not have more struggles than their non-adopted counterparts. But for those who do have a tougher time, they are still able to face and overcome those issues with love and attention from their parents.

Statistics:
• 31% of teens say parents influence their decisions most about sex
• Only 24% of parents think they are the most influential in their teen’s lives
• 7.1% of kids have had sex before they are 13
• 60% of teens having sex regret their first time, wish they’d waited, wish they’d listened to their parents.
• 90% of parents say they’ve had a successful and good level of conversation about sex with their child
• 71% of teens say they have had a helpful conversation about sex with their parents.
• In a study of 700 adolescents, 58% were having sex, but only 31% of their mothers believed they were.
• Teens who reported having a greater relationship with their mom were less likely to become sexually active

Teens are crying out everywhere for their parents to take the time to talk to them about sex. Just turn on the TV and you will see a “talk to me” commercial. Contradictory to what parents think their kids actually listen to them. Study after study shows that most children and adolescents turn to their parents for advice and for counseling. Focus on the Family says that even if they look like they aren’t listening and don’t care (and they are probably rolling their eyes), they really are listening and storing that information in the memory to pull out later. They have a “vacant, glazed-over look.” But parents, get brave… you must get over this, your teen is probably listening.
Most parents find it to be intimidating and even “scary” to talk to their kids about sex, almost like it’s a forbidden word. Many believe that if they don’t talk about it that their kids will live in this fairyland where it doesn’t exist. Many believe that by giving the talk about the “birds and the bees” will only enhance their desire to test the waters. Researchers, however, say that adolescents are less likely to participate in sexual activities if they are instructed by their parents. They go on to say, don’t give your talk in one big, long, boring talk; break it up. Bring up small topics randomly about sex and sexual activities. Don’t just throw it all on them at once.
Ultimately, parents affect children, in everything they do. Each adolescent can see a little bit of their parents inside of them, and even if they say they hate it, majority of them wouldn’t change it. So parents, talk to your kids: teens, Listen!

Some “talking tips” for parents:
• Even if your child is making faces, they are more than likely listening
• It is not as awkward for most teens as you think
• Define the word “sex” to your child, make sure you are on the same page
• Set boundaries, even if they argue them, it shows you care
• Have small talks
• Earn the trust of your teen, while they earn yours
• Allow teens to make decisions, but be there along the way
• If your teen fails, handle the situation with grace and maturity; they are looking to you for strength
• Discuss your childhood with your parents
• Clearly convey your values
• Spend time with your child
• Don’t back down on your rules and don’t be pushed around
• Practice what you preach!
• Present facts
• Make sure they know you love them
• Show them you trust them by allowing them their privacy, but have an open relationship
• Expand your knowledge on the issues at hand
• Discuss other issues other than sex: porn, drinking, drugs, swearing… let them know you want them living a healthy lifestyle
• Don’t be stiff and scary and serious…it just makes them more nervous
All teens go through this stage, and all need your help. There isn’t a set age at which they become interested in the opposite sex, but it is certain to happen. So be prepared and mature, no matter what curveball they throw your way.
Work cited
Clayton, Victoria. Tackling the Topic of Teen Sex. Growing Up Healthy. January 19, 2005. http://www.msnbc.msn.com
Kim, Christine C. Teen Sex: The Parent Factor. Backgrounder: No. 2194. The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC. October 7, 2008.
Klepacki, Linda. What Your Teens Need to Know about sex. Focus on the Family. www.focusonthefamily.com
Talking to Teens About Sex. Teens and Sex. http://www.pamf.org/teen/parents/sex/talksex.html
Teen Birth Rate Up for Second Year in a Row. Parenting Teens Resource Network. http://parentingteensresourcenetwork.org/sexuality/article.php?cat+9&id+103

Parenting Styles
By Bailey Brown

Parents influence their children in many different ways, and especially during their teen years. During these years kids choose to do a lot of things they shouldn’t. If parents were more involved with their child’s life then they would choose better paths to follow. Most parents feel that their teen does not want anything to do with them, so they avoid it. They truly do want their parents to be involved though, it makes a difference in their lives. In this essay I want to touch on the different parenting styles and discuss which one I think is most efficient.

The First parenting style I want to talk about is Authoritarian. This type of parent is very strict on their child. They make all the rules, and usually don’t give the kid any say in the decision. They also, can get very upset when their teen does not perform at the level they have set. The child is not able to question what the parent is saying; if they do the answer is “Because I said so.” This can be good for children because it keeps them on a straight path. I do know though that during my teen years anything my parents said not to do I did. Even if I know that punishment would suck, I still did it for the fun. Most teens would do the same thing. Also, these teens will not ever learn to think for themselves. If their parents always make ever choice, and never even let them help it will affect them long term. These kids will also be poor decision makers, which will make it hard to carry out every day decisions.

Second there are permissive parents. These type of parents are exactly opposite from the Authoritarian. Permissive parents don’t take any role in their child’s life. They little rules, if any at all. The rules that they do establish are usually broken, or changed a lot. The parent wants to feel like they are being their kids’ friend. They are still trying to be a parent, but don’t want to control their kid. They feel that if the let their teen make the decisions that they will be better off, and they will learn on their own. And that may be true, but they still need boundaries. Even if they don’t want to be mean about it they still need to enforce some boundaries so their teen can learn to follow directions and orders. This type of teen will learn to make bad choices because they have never seen a decision be made. This will lead them to always think everything can go their way. If they never get punished they will get in a lot more trouble, because they know they can get away with it.

Authoritative is the last style of parenting, which is usually promoted the most. These parents like to include their child in the rules that they set. These parents set rules and follow them, and the child is fully aware. If the child breaks the rules then the parent discusses with them what they did wrong, and what needs to be done to fix it. These children are usually better off, because they have been taught boundaries. They know if a rule is broken they will see consequences. This will help them later in life, in school and work. At work they will know that they need to follow the rules or they will be fired. In school they will get punishment by the teacher or principle. These things will help the teens as they progress through life, which is why this method is supported the most.

My parents were Authoritative. I did do a lot of things that I should not have done when I was a teen, but I learned from them. My parents made rules, and told me the consequences if I chose not to follow them. My mom talked to me a lot about different things that I should not do. For instance like drugs, my mom works in a hospital and sees the effects of drugs every day. She told me a lot of things that were hard to hear, but I have not touched any drug ever in my life for that reason. She told me the truth, and she let me ask questions. On the drinking subject my mom did the same thing, and she told me what could happen. She always told me if I decided to drink to never drive, and no matter how drunk, or far away I was to always call if I needed a ride. I will say that she held true to this statement, and I never did get in trouble, but I was safe and I learned my lessons on my own. When my mom talked to me about sex she told me all the details and problems with it. She never once told me no or not to do it. When I started dating my boyfriend of four years now my mom put me on birth control. I thank her so much today for doing that. She knew I was going to do these things and her way of dealing with it was to make sure I knew the proper ways to protect myself if I chose to do so.

In conclusion I feel that there can be many different ways to parent. Some are better for others, and that depends on the parent. My favorite way would be authoritative, because I feel it is the most rewarding style for a teen. It lets us explore our boundaries, but know our rules. These life lessons will help us in our everyday lives, and decision making. I feel I learned from all of my mistakes on my own. My parents were there to guide me but let me experience things on my own.

Families
By: Alyssa Mustard

Across the United States the parenting styles today are different for every family. There are four different types of parenting styles which are; the authoritarian parent, authoritative, neglectful, and the indulgent parents. The authoritarian parent is the restrictive parent with firm limits and allow little verbal exchange between them and their child. The authoritative parent encourages their children to be independent but they put a few rules on the line for them, they give them some restrictions. Neglectful parenting, the parent is very uninvolved with their adolescents life. With neglectful parents their children feel like the parents’ lives are more important than they are. The last type of parenting styles is the indulgent parent, they are very involved with their adolescents but place little to no limits on them. As a child coming from indulgent parents they never learn how to control their behavior and always expect to get it their way.

Arguing with parents is apart of everyday life. Most if not all adolescents have conflicts with their parents. Conflicts with parents increase in early adolescence. Most disagreements are mother-daughter arguments. The average length of the arguments is eleven minutes. Much of the conflicts involve the everyday events of family such as keeping the bedroom clean, curfew, the everyday chores.

As an only child I had authoritative parents, I was always encouraged to be independent but my parents had their rules that I had to follow. As I was debating where to go to college my parents gave their input but always let me make the final decision. Most of my conflicts with my parents are always between my mom and I, my dad and I rarely argue. My parents are still together and we have almost the typical american family the only difference is, is that I am an only child. Even though my parents are still together, the word divorce has come across their minds. A statistic showed that eighty percent of adults concluded that their parents’ decisions to divorce was a wise one. If I were asked if the idea of my parents getting a divorce would be a good idea, I’d have to say yes. The long arguments that we have faced as a family cause so many more problems than just being happy individuals. No matter the problems my parents face as a couple I have never doubted the love that they have for me. As an emerging adult my parents let me make my own decisions about where I wanted to go to college. My mom wanted me to have every chance to do what I want and go where ever I wanted. No matter the conflicts I face as an adult I know that I can turn to my parents for anything.

Family Divorces
By: Kurtis Baker
The United States has one of the highest divorce rates. Divorce is becoming more and more popular and is an issue many young teens and kids have to deal with. Forty percent of children born to married parents will experience their parents divorce. Twenty-five percent of children from divorced families had emotional problems. Adolescent girls with divorced parents were vulnerable to developing depressive symptoms. Eighty percent of adults concluded that their parents’ decisions to divorce was a wise one. Not only are parents divorcing more, they are also getting remarried more and more. About half of all children whose parents divorce will remarry in the within the next four years. There are three types of stepfamilies; the stepfather, stepmother and a blended family. Blended families both parents bring children from previous marriages to live in the newly formed stepfamily.

Divorce and remarriage is something I have had to deal with as an adolescent. When I was in high school my parents got divorced and by the time I graduated my mother had remarried. Along with a new stepdad that was brought into my life, i also got two step siblings. My step sister is 19 and lives by herself and my step brother is 17 and stays at my house every other weekend. With all these new faces walking around my house it took some getting used to, but now that it is normal to me I wouldn’t have it any other way. I value the relationships I have made with my new family member as see them as part of my family now. In addition to my mother getting remarried, my father has also found a new girlfriend that I see periodically. The only difficult times for me is when holidays come around. Holidays get very hectic and busy just because I have to shuttle back and forth from different houses.

In conclusion, the experience I went through as a adolescent has shaped me into what I am today and I wouldn’t change it for anything. My new family, or should I say families, are very special to me and I am glad I have experienced this. I would say most people and kids would see divorce and blended families as a negitive thing, but for me it wasn’t an unpleasant time.

Teens getting jobs, school uniforms, and transitions from different schools

By Janae Koury and Callie Henry

There are many issues out there in the world today. Many of them are directed directly to teens. Some of the issues being covered in this are; teens getting jobs, school uniforms, and the transition from different schools.

There are some pros to teens getting jobs. They will teach work skills needed for life. It will help a teen feel more confident and independent. It will help the teen develop a sense of responsibility. If the teen works 10 to 15 hours a week during the school year they earn higher grades than students who don’t. A job will help teens manage money. It will help the teen explore potential career paths. There are some cons to teens getting jobs as well. Teens who work more than 13 to 20 hours a week receive lower grades. They find it difficult to keep up extracurricular activities and friendships. They are more likely to use illegal drugs or alcohol. They tend to sleep more and exercise less and spend less time with family. There are questions to ask yourself to see if your teen is ready to get a job. Does my teen get out of bed in the morning without prodding? Does my teen shower and have good hygiene? Does my teen make good choices? Does my teen take responsibility for mistakes? Does my teen get along with other teens and adults? Does my teen handle criticism? Does my teen have good time management skills?

School uniforms have been an issue for a long time but have never really determined a specific outcome. There are pros for wearing school uniforms. The uniform looks professional. It demonstrates good discipline. It lowers acts of fighting and violence. There are fewer arguments over what is considered fashionable. The tensions are eased between schools that encounter gangs. The uniforms don’t cause distractions. They help with a sense of value. They are low cost because they are cheaper than other clothes. Uniforms help to promote school spirit. There is less worry about looks. They help schools easily recognize who should be on campus. There are also cons with school uniforms. They cause discipline problems. Self-expression is hindered. They stop the teens from feeling unique and special. The student wearing the uniform doesn’t want to wear what everyone else is wearing. The uniforms may interfere with religious clothing. There are areas that students and parents can both agree on. The uniforms need to be made more casual like jeans and a knit shirt. The students need to be able to express themselves somehow possibly thru buttons. There should be financial assistance for parents who can’t afford uniforms. They need to be able to accommodate religious beliefs. If the community pressure is too large make it optional. There should be an “opt-out” provision.

There are many transitions that a student experiences during their schooling years. The first transition is from middle school or junior high. The body begins to change. It goes from a small contained classroom with one teacher to a larger impersonal school structure with many teachers. There is a switch in class status from being on the top to going back down to the bottom. Some students will encounter self-esteem issues. Bullying is more common. According to Carneige Counsel on Adolescent Development there are ways to ease the transition from middle to high school. Develop smaller communities or houses to lessen the impersonal nature of large middle schools. Encourage lower student-to-counselor ratios from several hundred to 1-10. Involve parents and community leaders in schools. Develop curricula that produce students who are literate, understand sciences, and have a sense of health, ethics, and citizenship. Have teachers team teach in more flexibly designed curriculum blocks that integrates several disciplines Boost students health and fitness with more school programs. The transition into high school then comes into play. There is ongoing stress of interacting with teens being in a closed environment for several hours. They are worry about preparing for college. There is more peer pressure. There are points from the National Commission on the High School Senior year study points to be aware of. They must do a better job of preparing all students especially minorities for postsecondary education or career. There are higher expectations for student achievement. High schoolers are spending too much time in low level service jobs. There should be more communication and coordination between all levels of education from kindergarten to college.

In today’s society, many things influence adolescents’ opinion of sex and activities related to sex. With the media showing as much sex as they do, children see it over and over and may come to believe it to be normal for that reason. Music, movies, television shows, websites, and more all show sex in a good way, sex is the key to happiness. Along with the media, there is also that adults are open with their sexual relationships. With all of the openness and exposure to explicit subjects, it is only expected that the adolescents view sex differently then past generations.
The age at which an adolescent experiences sexual intercourse or engage in any sexual activity varies by their ethnic group in the United States. It is most commonly related to a person’s culture’s values and customs. Asians are more likely than others to wait to engage in sexual behaviors than other cultures, while African Americans are more likely to begin earlier. The timing also varies by the gender. In a United States survey, 63% of twelfth graders had reported they had engaged in sexual intercourse, and 34% of the ninth graders had experienced sex. Females are less likely to report enjoying sex than males, or admit that they are sexually active. Many adolescents do not believe that oral sex is actually sex. They think that it is the same as abstinence, although in reality it is. It has risks, such as sexually transmitted diseases. Some adolescents go as far as giving sexual favors in return for gifts such as purses, clothes, money, and sometimes even homework. It is starting at a young age, as young as twelve.

Teenage sexuality has changed a lot over the years due to the technology that is available nowadays. The internet and cell phone make the game a little different. The subject of teen sex is something that will scare most parents. Kids this age are finding more and more about themselves every day. Sexuality is a natural thing and humans begin to have a mature desire around the onset of puberty. It is hard enough for a teenager to go through these changes, but they are influenced heavily by the media these days. It is becoming harder to find clean shows on television and it is rare that you see a movie without at least one sex scene in it. If this isn’t enough, the radio, internet, music videos, and music lyrics all play a role in getting the “sex sells” propaganda out there to teens. All of these factors contribute to an adolescent’s attitude and behavior concerning sexual activity. As always the media will put a spin on anything they can to make money. Only 9% of sex scenes on television show any of the possible negative consequences to sexual activity. With all of the information available and the constant push of the media, some kids really struggle around this time and begin to have questions that need answers. Some even start to question their sexuality. Human sexuality is more than just whether you are male or female, and it is more than just the act of sex. It is a complex idea that involves your physical make-up, how you think about yourself, and how you feel about others and the society you live in.

Here are some of the things that contribute to sexuality:
Anatomic sex — Anatomic sex refers to the sex organs with which you were born. That is, you are either a boy (with a penis and testicles) or a girl (with breasts, a uterus, vagina, and ovaries). Occasionally, a baby is born with sex organs that are not normally developed and/or may appear to resemble both sexes; these individuals are said to have ambiguous genitalia or to be intersex. Anatomic sex is only one component of sexuality.

Gender identity — Gender identity relates to how you feel inside, and whether you "feel" like a boy or a girl. Most people have a combination of feelings, including some that are thought of as "male" or "masculine" and some that are thought of as "female" or "feminine." In most cases, someone feels mostly like a boy or mostly like a girl.

Gender identity and anatomic sex sometimes do not match. For example, a person can be born as a boy but feel like a girl. This is sometimes referred to as transgender.

Sexual orientation — Once you begin puberty, you are likely to begin to have strong physical and emotional attractions to others. Sexual orientation refers to whether you are primarily attracted to people of the opposite sex (heterosexual), the same sex as you (homosexual, gay, or lesbian), or both (bisexual). Sexual orientation is influenced by many factors, including your anatomic sex, your gender identity, the society you live in, and other factors, some of which are not completely understood.

Peer Pressure- the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms.

For teenagers it can be very important to “fit in”—or at least not stand out. Teens are very worried about what others think of them and are concerned about their images. Peer pressure is very influential in teens’ lives and is basically the influence that people your age have on you. Influences on teens can change their behavior, choice in clothes, and all over attitude about their everyday life.

There are many startling facts on the effect on teens with peer pressure. The pressure may be straight forward with teens feeling the pressure to either drink, smoke or do drugs. In some cases, peer pressure is a little more subtle with clues give to the teens that they will not be “cool” if they do not take part in the activities. Here are some quick facts about peer pressure.

• 41% of adolescents have pressured a friend into doing something they could tell their friend was uncomfortable with
• 38% of adolescents have been pressured into doing something they knew was bad for their health
• 47% of adolescents have lied about liking something just because they thought their friends would make fun of them if they knew the truth
• 3.1 million teenagers smoke, according to the American Lung Association
• The Kaiser Foundation reports that 50% of teenagers feel pressured with regard to sex in relationships

It can really help to have at least one other friend who supports your beliefs and will back you up if you are ever in a pressured situation. It is tough to say “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it. Being aware of your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong will help you decide what the right thing to do is. You need to be strong and confident, stand firm and walk away—always resist something when you know better.

Bullying
By Megan Dennis
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Bullying is the act of intentionally harming others, whether it is physical, verbal, or emotional bullying. Some examples of physical bullying include kicking, pushing, and pinching. Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors, or persistent teasing are just a few forms of verbal bullying. Lastly, emotional bullying includes excluding someone, tormenting, ridicule, and humiliation. Usually some form of bullying takes place among adolescents during their lifetime. Persistent bullying can result in depression, low self-esteem, shyness, poor academic achievement, isolation, and possible threatened or attempted suicide. There are many signs that a child may indicate that bullying is occurring in his or her life. Some common signs include; not wanting to go to school, sick feelings in the morning, attempt or threatened suicide, doing poorly in their school work, possible aggression towards others, and lack of confidence.
Research has shown that kids who hang out with their peers who bully, both girls and boys, tend to do more bullying themselves. I think this is true because in the adolescent stage, children are trying to find who their friends are and who they fit in with. If a child sees his friend bullying, they may think that it is ok to do exactly what he is doing, without any interfering of the bullying that is taking place between his peers. The peak of this aggression stage and unreasonable behavior takes place in the sixth grade through the eighth grade but may continue on into high school.
One of the most recent forms of bullying is cyber-bullying. This type takes place over the internet and often times parents are unaware of the websites their child may be exposed to. These websites contain chat rooms that anyone can get on and this is usually where cyber-bullying takes place. This type of technology is altering the social lives of children at an age when they are especially vulnerable to insults. Protecting children from online attacks are just as important as those that take place in the classroom or the playground.
Statistics show that one out of four kids is bullied in a school setting. On the playground, every 7 minutes a child is being bullied, only 4% of adults intervene, 11% of peer intervention, and 85% of these bully attacks have no intervention. Bullying is a serious problem in our adolescents today. It is important for adults to take action no matter where it takes place. No child deserves to be harmed or treated negatively during their adolescence. Bullying is detrimental to students’ well-being and development.

Alcohol and Drug Use

By Cliff

Teen drinking has been an issue for over a century. It’s not a new problem although it seems like year after year it’s treated like it is. In several studies teen drinking rates have not really increased the same percentage of teens are drinking and partying the only increase is the younger and younger teens are becoming that are doing so. Teen drinking accounts for over 5000 deaths in the united states each year.
The alarm is really in my opinion coming from more and more concerned parents. Parents just like adolescents are becoming smarter they aren’t in the dark with the wool over their eyes as say parents of the 1950’s. They know that in this day and age with instant text messaging and faster than light emails that kids are growing up much faster than ever before. They are learning about sex and drugs and alcohol at ages when our parents even know that the opposite sex existed, at the age when our parents only knew that the opposite sex was separated by the length of hair they had and which bathroom they used. This all ties back to younger and younger drinking ages a recent study by Stanford University showed that by age 14 nearly half of all adolescents will have taken their first drink of alcohol and that age is dropping younger and younger every year. It seems to be dropping for males faster than females at age on a conflicting senses report the average male has taken at least one drink by the age of 11. Regardless of the senses reports they all show the same basic bottom line that teen drinking age is becoming increasingly younger than it had been it had been in the past.
The link between teen drinking and teen car accidents has always been fairly obvious however there are many reports teen suicide and homicide due to alcohol use. Psychologists’ say that like more addictive and dangerous drugs such as cocaine and meth, once an adolescent is addicted to alcohol they have feelings of dependency and start to feel anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, and even (ODD) antisocial personality disorder. Depression and anxiety or any of these disorders can lead to suicide or cause them to lash out to those around them. But wait one second, looking at these disorders and symptoms; lashing out, depression, anxiety, suicide. These are all regular characteristics of your everyday drunk whether they are 15 or 55 so it shouldn’t be that big a deal for the senses reports to find these facts. The difference between an adolescent addicted to alcohol and an adult in the same situation is with a growing brain and rushing hormones the effects of alcohol dependency could be amplified many times compared to how they would affect a person twice the age.
Kids these days are faced with challenges that their parents never had to deal with. On top of increasingly more addictive drugs, the media has now boundaries they won’t cross no matter what age the viewers may be. Instant messages and chat sights such as facebook or myspace make peer pressure a stronger force than ever to be reckon with. And in a society where its becoming increasingly cool to prove yourself by how much you can get away with, or how much you can consume, or how much you are willing to tempt death. The end results are often times not pretty. I don’t have the answer to the teen drinking/drug epidemic, these are a few facts and a few of my personal opinions and you can take them for what they are worth.

Getting High
By Jace

It is old news when a person brings up the topics of teens and drugs. But as times advance teens have found new ways of getting the high they desire. It has evolved from marijuana, cocaine, to harder drugs as LSD and meth. But now teens are getting high off things that are in their homes, or even without any type of substance.

Teens have reached to dangerous heights in the attempt to get high. Teens have progressed from experimenting with alcohol, illegal drugs to prescription drugs, huffing, and now with games such as the the fainting game also know as the pass out game. The fainting game requires teens to purposely cut off their air supply so they will lose conscience and when they awake they experience a high.

The high one gets from passing out during the choking game is more of a short lasting high, where as a chemical high can last for hours. There are side effects that are also apparent. These games can cause teens to have blood shot eyes, severe headaches, changes in attitude and many other warning signs. Parents are also to be on the look out for signs such as, wear marks on the furniture in the teens room, bed sheets or other linins tied in knots, and teens desire to get more information on asphyxiation.

A newer version of this game has teens getting on roller coasters and holding their breath and due to the speed and the G forces applied, they lose conscience to awake with a rush or a high. When a teen gets on a roller coaster, they pass out early into the ride and usually spend the most of the ride unconscious. Due to the g forces of the ride, it prevents the person from awaking. This could cause prolonged oxygen deprivation to the brain. Another big concern is that when a person goes unconscious, their muscles relax and they body flows with the ride.

When unconscious you have no control of your head, and when it is slumped forward, it literally can bounce back and forth hitting the side rails and the head rest and cause problems such as blunt trauma which could cause brain swelling.

This is a activity that some teens do over and over, and their parents are none the wiser. The same is true with the chocking game. While experts believe that this is an activity that is played more by younger teens, older teens also participate. The article also states that many teens use the chocking practice during sexual activity. Which will cause the person to feel greater pleasure, but they dire risks are the same.

When oxygen is cut of to the brain it can cause brain cells to die, cause difficulties in concentration, and affect a person short term memory, These are vital to teens cognitive development. Teens are introduced to complex applications in school and with less concentration and bad short term memory, you can see why this causes a problem. Also with brain cells being killed, there could be vital connections not being made that could lead to numerous other problems.

Experts believe that the best way to prevent teens from caring out these activates is to educate them on the dangers of this activity. Teens tend to think that this game is a good alternative to drug or alcohol use, because they see it as almost harmless and not habit forming. Another important factor to this game appealing to teens is that it is virtually cost free and that it can be done anyplace anywhere. Parents need to talk to their teens and go over the dangers, to educate them so that they will have all the information before choosing to partake or not in these games.

Many teens face adult problems at a very young age. Underage drinking viewed in the eyes of parents and law enforcement agencies is a major problem among teen. In today society, kids are being pressured into doing things at a very young adolescent age. Problem many parents are facing in their own life are also posing as problems on their kids.
The answer teens today must make is no longer just what shoes to wear or what matches what, but the must decided on drugs. Amongst those is alcohol, which is a choice most teens make even before they are teens. I have actually talked to some people that were drinking at the age of eleven and twelve. Everybody I have met has at one time drunk alcohol before graduation. Police officers sit day and night coming up with ways to extinguish this problem, but no matter how much effort they put forth it will and has continued. According to the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), approximately 19 percent of teenagers 12 to 17 years old were reported to be engaged in alcohol abuse last year. As teenagers grow older, they tend to maintain a higher level of alcohol consumption. The survey reports that approximately 32 percent of young people aged 18 to 24 continue alcohol abuse. In fact, this is the most troubled age group having the highest rates of alcohol use, alcohol dependence, and need for treatment. In spite of restrictions, several millions of teenagers and adolescents are interested in drinking alcohol and are able to get alcohol. According to the Federal Trade Commissions survey, alcohol advertising and promotions do not reach, and do not affect teenagers and adolescents. But I contend that younger crowds are reached by alcohol advertisers.
Drugs
Many people have distorted views in this day and age. One of which, I believe, is the way people look at drugs, as well as, drug users. Being that it is now the year 2000, drugs have been around quite a long time. We should all know whats going on, and I think most do. However, I think most are too ignorant to admit the obvious. Like, why teenagers use drugs. Most try to come up with excuses such as, “they’re depressed” or “peer pressure.” This is wrong, a distorted view.Teenagers get bored very easily. In life we all go through our droughts. Times in life when we have absolutely nothing to do. When this occurs, it seams like the minute hand on the clock is counting hours. At this point, teens feel they have nothing better to do with their time. Yes, schools do try and fill most youths’ brains with extra curricular activities. But, many teens find this association boring, and repetitive. Think about it, how much fun can one actually have at an after school activity. Sports, and other curriculums are shunned by many teens, because of the appearance they give off. They want something new in their lives.

Alcohol Use Statistics and Information
By Crystal
47% of 8th graders, 67% if 10th graders and 78% of 12th graders have used alcohol
11% of 6th graders have reported binge drinking (5 or more drinks per occasion for males; 4 for females)
30% of high-school seniors have reported binge drinking at least once a month
44% of college students have reported binge drinking in the past 2 weeks
23% have reported that they binge drink frequently
Youth who drink alcohol before age 14 are 4 times more likely to become alcohol dependent in their lifetime than those who wait until age 21 or older.
APA Testimony before the U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Services to Adolescents, June 15th 2004.

Ten Warning Signs of Alcoholism
• Do you ever drink after telling yourself you won't?
• Does your drinking worry your family?
• Do you drink alone when you feel angry or sad?
• Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
• Do you get headaches or have hang-overs after drinking?
• Does your drinking ever make you late for work?
• Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
• Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
• Do you ever forget what you did while you were drinking?
• Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?http://www.alcoholism-information.com/Ten_Warning_Signs_of_Alcoholism.html

The excuse given by teens who were caught drinking and driving include: Prom, graduation, spring break and breaking up with their boy or girl friends.
Accidents involving drunk drivers cost Americans $114 billion dollars annually
Nationally in the United States, over 12% of all fatal crashes were alcohol related and 40% of those involved teenage drivers who were drinking
Alcohol is the cause of 60% of all teen deaths in car accidents
Alcohol is the most overdoses in Teens
Eight teens die daily in alcohol related vehicle crashes

Media Influence
By James Leonard

In todays society the media has a HUGE impact on the adolescents who live in it. We are easily influenced by what is happening around us because being “accepted” is our main priority as adolescents….But what about those teenagers who are not welcomed by their peers who have the good looks, newest gadgets, tons of friends, or the new BMW bought by their rich parents? As an adolescent your quickly judged based on appearance or who you hangout with by the majority of the community. If you're a loner then you tend to stay one until you move town, leave schools, or graduate completely and move to college.

Those adolescents who shy off through the hallways alone usually get picked on because their not “in” with the latest trends in the media. This can lead to serious problems in the minds of those kids, and most of us don't even take a second thought to worry. Violence in public school systems have dramatically increased over the years just because of this problem by itself, and often we read in the news that the problem was that they “found it difficult to fit into any of the cliques.* As is too common in high school, the boys found themselves frequently picked on by athletes and other students.” The Columbine High School Massacre is a perfect example. Those two teenagers were loners in their high school who were not accepted by their classmates because of either how they dressed, talked, or just because they strolled the hallways without a group of friends hanging all over them. The media can play a bad role in society just as much as a positive one. Violent video games, movies, hardcore heavy metal were all to blame after this tragedy took place. Now whether this is true or not we will never know. It happened, but we still point the finger at everything else. What part can you play to prevent this from happening ever again?

Just because an adolescent doesn't seem to fit your stereotype doesn't mean you can't talk to them, or doesn't mean you should taunt them either. There needs to be more leaders who are willing to take that risk on their so called, “perfect life”, and make a difference on someone else's. This topic is such a ludicrous reason for innocent children to die. We have the power to stop isolating ourselves in groups & come together. Will this happen probably not. Will more school shootings occur due to bullying: I'm sure of it. What will it take for us to finally learn?

What is a video game?
Definition - A video game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device

Platforms-
PC games- Mac or Regular PC
Console games (connected to a TV or monitor of some kind) - Top 3 Most Popular Consoles - Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox360
Handheld Games (games that have screens in the palm of your hand) - PSP, Nintendo DS, Gameboy, Cell phones

Good Things About Video Games
provide a fun and social form of entertainment
encourage teamwork and cooperation when played with others
make kids feel comfortable with technology—particularly important for girls, who don't use technology as much as boys
increase children's self-confidence and self-esteem as they master games
provide points of common interest and opportunities for socialization
develop skills in reading, math, technology and problem-solving
encourage participation in related offline activities, such as reading or sports
encourage civic participation
improve hand-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills

Concerns About Video Games
Excessive Playing - There are games that teens play too much. They don’t sleep or do school work, they just play. The worst game that makes kids do this is World of Warcraft. This is bad because grades go down and their active living takes a beating.

Violence -
Children have easy access to violent video games. Studies have shown that violent video games can make children violent as well. But this can be avoided. Parents complain about their children playing gory video games with mature content, when they’re the ones who bought their child the video game. They need to be educated on the Rating System.

Rating System-
￼ Early Childhood (EC): Early Childhood rated games have content that may be suitable for persons ages 3 and older. Titles in this category contain no material that parents would find inappropriate.

￼ Everyone (E): Everyone rated games have content that may be suitable for persons ages six and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal violence and some comic mischief and/or mild language.
￼ EVERYONE 10+ (E10+): Titles rated E10+ have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language, and/or minimal suggestive themes.
￼ Teen (T): Teen rated games have content that may be suitable for persons ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violent content, mild or strong language, and/or suggestive themes.
￼ Mature (M): Mature rated games have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain mature sexual themes, more intense violence and/or strong language.
￼ Adults Only (AO): Adults Only rated games have content suitable only for adults. Titles in this category may include graphic depictions of sex and/or violence. Adults Only products are not intended for persons under the age of 18.
￼ Rating Pending: Used only for advertising and/or marketing materials created for titles that have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting a final rating.

￼ Content Descriptor: Over 30 standardized phrases that indicate content that triggered a particular rating and may be of interest or concern.

Gender Stereotyping -
Men that make video games make the women unrealistically beautiful. Women that play video games feel self conscience and degraded. However, the amount of unrealistic beauty added to female characters has gone down because graphics have enhanced.

Teens and Television
TV& Violence
Book - Pg 439 States that children who watch violent television tend to grow into teens that are more violent. Studies show that children who watch more aggressive tv tend to be more aggressive toward other children or playmates.

Tv& Sex
Children often learn about sex at an early age because of the sexual content on tv. Also children who watch more sex scenes tend to start intercourse at an earlier age.

Tv& Achievement
The more children watch tv, the lower their school achievement is. They stay up watching tv instead of homework and sleep, and they aren’t active which leads to obesity.

Social Skills:
What are social skills? Social skills can be defined as the set of skills people use to interact and communicate with one another.
 Examples: how to greet someone, turn-taking in conversation, skills involved in maintaining conversation, engaging in eye contact, just to name a few.
Statistics:
 47% of U.S. teens say their social life would end or be worsened with out their cell phones.
 83% use their phones to take pictures; 60% play music on their phones; 46% play games on their phones;
32% exchange videos on their phones; 27% go online for general purposes on their phones; 23% access social networking
sites on their phones. (June 2005)
 And these statistics continue to change..
Positive Effects:
 Some websites actually teach people how to improve their social skills.
 http://www.mindtools.com/page8.htmlis one of the websites.

 Professor Patti Valkenburg, of the University of Amsterdam's internationally respected Centre for Research on Children, states “communications tools help resolve one of the fundamental conflicts that rages within every adolescent.”
 The internet and other forms of technology help teens express themselves, especially if the teen has trouble relating to society. Or teens that are shy and can’t open up in front of people, things like Facebook help show the teen’s personality.
Negative Effects:
 Cyber bullying
 Communication skills undeveloped
 Distraction from school work, ex. Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace are the most popular.
 Interesting fact: Facebook is the most viewed website with 550,000,000 monthly visitors. Whereas Twitter only has 95,800,000 monthly visitors.
 Big question: Does technology help teen’s social skills or hinder them?
Cyber bulling:
 Cyber bullying, also called (online bullying), is bullying through Internet applications and technologies such as instant messaging, social networking sites, and cell phones.
 It starts easy—with a rumor, a photo, or a forwarded message, and sometimes its very hard to stop.
 It’s one of the easiest forms of bullying.
 Becoming more of a bigger deal with new emerging websites.
 About 1/3 of teens have been cyber bullied.
 Girls are more likely to be targeted.
 Over 80 percent of teens use a cell phone frequently, making it the most popular form of technology and one of the most common forms of Cyber Bullying.
 About 1 in 5 teens have posted or sent sexually suggestive or nude pictures of themselves to others.
 73 percent of the people who reported being cyber-bullied said they knew who was doing the bullying.
 81 percent of teens think that Cyber Bullying is funny and that it’s not a big deal.
Signs of Cyber Bullying:
 Hesitant to be online.
 Visibly upset after using the computer or cell phone.
 Hides or clears the computer screen or cell phone.
 Falls behind in schoolwork’s or wants to avoid school.
 Change in personality or behavior.
 Trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, excessively moody, or seems depressed.
Tips to help prevent it:
 Always treat others how you would like to be treated.
 Don't say things online that you're not willing to say to someone in person.
 If someone says something you don't like online, step away from the computer.
 If you are feeling physically threatened by someone online, report the incident to your parents.
Internet Safety Tips:
 Make sure your screen name doesn't say too much about you.
 Post only information that you are comfortable with others seeing, and knowing about you.
 Remember that once you post information online, you can't take it back.
 Consider not posting your photo.
 Flirting with strangers online could have serious consequences- such as stalking
 Be wary if a new online friend wants to meet you in person.
 Trust your gut if you have suspicions.
Works Cited:
 http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/safety-tips-tweens-teens.aspx
 http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/all/article/161989/The-Effects-of-Technology-on-Teens
 http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/misc/tech.html
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/16/teenagers-mobiles-facebook-social-networking

Online Predators
By Rexanne Schilowsky and Danae Rice

Because of the vast improvement of today’s technology there are more and more risks of chatting online or having a personal page. Online predators are one of the biggest problems online websites face today. Predators can use instant messaging, email, chat rooms, and websites like Myspace and Facebook to meet and develop relationships with their victims. Because people sometimes post personal information it is easier for the predator to find and potentially harm you. Research shows that online predators are hardly ever posing as another child, but as an adult who targets teens and seduces victims into sexual relationships. Most of the victims are teens that have histories of sexual or physical abuse and problems with their home lives or family. Janis Wolak, the lead author of the study of online predators, states that “most internet initiated crimes involve adult men whoa re open about their interest in sex.” Statistics show that nearly 75 percent of victims meet offenders face-to-face more than once. According to www.dmoz.org, internet safely can be achieved by following the four R’s: Recognize, Refuse, Respond, and Report.
1.) Recognize the internet predator’s techniques of how they lure under-age children in. First they collect any personal information from your profile, then they support your point of view on online chats, next they ask you to keep your friendship a secret and exchange email and phone numbers with you, after that they talk more about adult experiences and sexual topics, then they typically use threats of violence if you stop communicating or refuse to meet them in person, and last they achieve their final goal of meeting you face to face.
2.) Refuse all requests for personal information, to keep an online relationship secret, meeting face-to-face, open attachments from people you don’t know, and to click on links in spam emails.
3.) Respond assertively by immediately exiting the program, logging of, and shutting down your computer.
4.) Report any suspicious or dangerous contact that makes you feel uncomfortable to your parents, schools, or local law enforcement office.
There are many groups or television shows dedicated to catching these online predators. One specifically is a TV show called “To Catch a Predator.” It is a reality show that features a serious of hidden camera investigations by the television news-magazine Dateline NBC dedicated to the subject of identifying and detaining those who contact people below the age of consent over the internet. They use under-cover decoys to lure the men in by letting them think they are meeting under the pretense of sexual contact. The law enforcement is involved in the operation leading to arrests of most of the individuals caught in the wrath. Shows like To Catch a Predator are highly successful in preventing sexual abuse to under-age kids, and catching online predators. You can watch episodes of the TV show to fully understand the process of luring in an online predator at www.youtube.com.

Kayla Cozza- Culture part one

Culture is a broad term and could have many meanings. The one meaning of culture that sticks out for us is about family and how our lives affect us. The one big thing with this culture is Rites of Passage. This basically is the “turning point” for people in different cultures. They are ceremonies or rituals that mark an individual’s transition from one status to another, such as the entry into adulthood. This is the major one people think of. Rites of passages are a big deal in many cultures, not just to the person who is entering the rite, but also to the culture as a whole.
Some examples are: for us turning 16 is one because we finally get “freedom” because we can drive anywhere. Another one is 18 because that is when we are graduating high school and feel like we are out on our own. 21 is probably one of the last major rites of passages because we are able to buy alcohol and be more independent.
Some other examples are in the Jewish culture when a girl turns 13 they are considered and adult and go through a ceremony called bat mitzvah. Another example would be in the Amish culture. When their kids hit a certain age they let them explore the outside world and let them choose to continue to be Amish and follow their culture or to go out into “our” world. This is a big step for them because there are so many things they do not know about like cell phones and the internet.
Rites of passages include so many more things and they play a big role in how adolescents are today. Without it culture would not be the same by this definition.

Anthony Vrbas- Culture part two

Another definition for culture is technology. This includes: TVs, computers/internet, cell phone, and more. The most influential technology is media. Media plays a big role in teenager’s lives. Violent and sexual TV shows show kids that being mean or having sex is not a bad thing so of course kids who play or watch violent shows tend to be more violent too and the kids who watch sex shows ten to have sex at an earlier age. It also can distract them from their schoolwork. Kids will have the TV on while they are doing homework but they are not fully concentrating on the work. Soon it starts to affect their grades. TV also influences how we act. Kids see the actors mouthing off to their “parents” on the show and think it is ok to do that to their parents and they are wrong. The last big issues that TV had is when other countries see a teenager getting pregnant they think that all teenagers are like that. They don’t realize that for one it is a show and for two, not every teenager just goes out and gets pregnant.
TV is still one of the most influential technologies for you adults. It affects culture because it shapes the kids and adults in who they will be like when they get older.

Teen Sexting and the Consequences

What happened to the time when you liked someone you’d pass them a note? With today’s teens the new craze is sending known as “sexting.” Sexting is when a person takes a flirtatious, nude or semi-nude picture of their self and sends it to others through their cell phone of other mean of texting device. While most teenagers send these explicit pictures to their boyfriend of girlfriend, they are often sent to others. What teens haven’t realized it how serious the consequences can be. Earlier this year a 17-year-old from Wisconsin was charged with possessing child pornography after he posted naked pictures of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend online. Also, in Alabama authorities arrested four middle-school students for exchanging nude photos of themselves. In Rochester, New York, a 16-year-old boy is now facing up to sever years in prison for forwarding a nude photo of a 15-year-old girlfriend to his friends. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy conducted a survey and found that one-fifth of teens had e-mailed explicit pictures of themselves and one-third had viewed such pictures of other teens.

The Chicago Tribune alerts you of the consequences:
“A nude image loose in cyberspace can torpedo a college application or job search. Worse, it can end up in the hands of a sexual predator. … Teens in several states have been charged with felonies—including sexual abuse of a minor and distributing or possessing child pornography—for sexting. In many cases, a conviction comes with a mandatory lifelong listing on a sex offender registry.”

A young girl from Cincinnati, Ohio killed herself last year after her ex-boyfriend shared her naked photo with their whole school. Eight Ohio teens were convicted on kid-porn charges. Their sentence was to poll fellow students to learn whether they knew that sexting is illegal. Of 225 surveyed, only 31 knew it was against the law. Teens aren’t only sending pictures but having scandalous conversations. Abbreviated text talk isn’t always as innocent as it seems.

Did you know that 3 in 10 teen girls in the US will get pregnant at least once before age 19? That's about 745,000 teen pregnancies each year. Wooooooo-eeeeeee. So what is this telling us? Obviously it is not a good idea for teens to become pregnant. If all of us know this then why are so many teens still getting pregnant?

Many girls believe they want a baby NOW, but when the baby does come so do a million other responsibilities, and there are probably a million OTHER things you would rather do than to be having to change a diaper. So if you decide to have sex, have you considered the consequences of getting pregnant? Oddly enough, almost 50% of teens have never thought about how a pregnancy would affect their lives even though having a baby could be one of the most life-changing things to happen to them.

Parenthood is the leading reason why teen girls drop out of school. It’s really difficult to juggle homework and a baby. Less than half of teen mothers ever graduate from high school and fewer than 2% earn a college degree by age 30. Plus, studies show that if you have a baby as a teen, most will have another one within two years. Which means that schooling will have to be even further delayed.
Start by thinking it through carefully yourself. Are you ready to have sex? Are you going to wait? Though there are a variety of ways to avoid pregnancy. There are contraceptives such as; birth control, condoms, and ABSTINENCE! Abstinence is 100% effective. There are so many ways to prevent pregnancy.

Having a baby at such a young age is a financial burden to most. Especially if they don’t have their parents support. It costs almost $11,000 in just the first year, that’s almost $900 a month. It is hard enough for two working parents with college educations to bear the expenses and deal with the stress of supporting a family, let alone a teen who will have limited job opportunities and lower incomes. A teen is not as financially stable as an older woman would be that has her career and schooling finished. Many teenagers will not even have had their first job. There are so many expenses that come with raising a child, such as; hospital bills, transportation, food, housing, clothing, daycare, education, and misc. expenses.
Does the media have anything to do with teenage pregnancy rates? Some shows portray pregnancy in a positive good way, but other shows portray teen pregnancy in a negative way. It is not all fun and games like some of the television shows make it out to be. Most tend to show all the good moments but not the bad. The cameras are not around 24 hours. Some tv shows might be having younger girls wanting to become pregnant for publicity. It could give them attention or make them famous.

The challenges a teenager faces with pregnancy are numerous but can be overcome with dedication, commitment and support.

Adolescents and even young adults are at very high risks for injury and death from motor vehicle accidents. Rates of death in motor vehicle crashes peak at age sixteen. It remains high through the age of thirty-five. With the elderly included with them, this age group is the most likely to be involved in and to lose their lives in a motor vehicle crash. Adolescents represent only 7% of all drivers. This is a low number, but they were drivers in 15% of fatal crashes and 18% of police-reported crashes.

Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of deaths in adolescents. But why are teenagers in so many accidents? Research has shown that there could be several characteristics in teens that result in “bad” driving. These include things such as inexperience, their emotional state, risky driving attitudes, thrill seeking, personality factors, and substance use. Alcohol accounts for the largest portion of substance related motor vehicle crashes among adolescents. Other risky behaviors that are not substance related include tailgating and speeding.

The Ford Motor Company has also done research on the causes of teenage automobile accidents. Quoting from their study, “When placed in one of these situations, they don’t know how to respond. Add to that raging hormones and you’ve got yourself one inexperienced and distracted driver.” Other studies have shown that the distractions of teens play a major role in causing accidents. Of course, one of the most obvious distractions is cell phones. Adults are able to shift their attention back and forth while dialing between the phone and the road. Teens normally just keep their gaze of the phone, not the road.

In today’s society, it’s not so much just dialing the phone. Nowadays texting while driving is getting out of control. Below are a few videos that show how text messaging can affect driving, and ultimately the fatal outcomes that can follow.

Other distractions to teenagers while driving can include driving with their friends. Teens like to cruise through towns. While doing this though, they are more likely to pay attention to what their peers have to say and what is going on inside the car. This causes them to lose focus and forget about what is going on in the road right in front of them.

Another common cause of teenage automobile accidents is inexperience. They are just learning to drive and don’t always know how to react to every situation. Most of the time, teens will act too quickly and won’t take time to think of the consequences of their decisions. According to the NHTSA, “Teens are risk takers. Of those involved in crashes, 36 percent of teens had been drinking, and 58 percent were speeding at the time of the crash.” Some states even want to raise the age in which teens are able to receive their license. Should this happen, or is driving a privilege that teens should be able to earn?

Teenage driving can cause major issues of trust and accountability between teens and parents. A lot of parents believe that trust and freedom behind the wheel is a privilege. It can usually be earned by performing well on non-driving related behaviors such as grades and chores. Another issue to consider is if parents should be able to monitor their teens while they drive. There are many differing opinions on this, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide.

This topic refers to a group of conditions defined by an abnormal eating habit. This may involve insufficient or excessive food intake. And we will take look at a few different eating disorders.

Anorexia nervosa: Is the refusal to maintain a healthy body weight. It is a combination of a fear of gaining weight, unrealistic view of current body weight. In females it can cause menstruation to stop. There is bone loss and loss of skin integrity in both male and females.

Bulimia nervosa: recurrent binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors as purging (self-induced vomiting, laxatives, and excessive exercising. People with Bulimia may also fast for awhile following a binge.

Pica: Is a compulsive craving or eating, chewing or licking of non-food items. These contain no nutritional value. These can be things like chalk, paper, plaster, paint chips, baking soda, starch, glue, rust, ice).

Rumination: this is characterized by involving the repeated painless regurgitation of food following a meal. Which is then either re-chewed and re-swallowed or discarded.

Eating Disorders

The exact cause of eating disorders are unknown. However, it is believed to be due to a combination of biological, psychological, and/or environmental abnormalities. Some people believe that genetics load it and environment pulls the trigger (so to speak). Many people suffering from eating disorder also suffer from body dimorphic disorder. This alters the way a person sees themselves.
Various childhood personality traits associated with the development of an eating disorder. In adolescences the traits could be intensified due to a variety of physiological and cultural influences. Hormonal changes, stress, socio-cultural, and especially in areas that concern body image. Environmental cause could be and are not limited to child maltreatment, social isolation, parental influence, peer pressure, and cultural pressure.
It is estimated that 8 million people in the United States suffer from some foam of eating disorder. From that number 10% of them are males or 1 million. That leaves 7 million women suffer from an eating disorder. One in 200 women suffer from Anorexia and two out of thre women suffer from Bulimia.

Treatment

The treatment of these disorders varies according to the type and the severity of the disorder. Some of the treatments could be one or more.

Along with other treatments used. While proper treatment can be very effective for many types of eating disorders. The consequences of an eating disorder can be severe including death.

Mortality Rates:

A study done by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. They have reported that 5-10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease. 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30-40% ever fully recover. The mortality rate is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL other causes of death for females 15-24 years old. 20% of people suffering will prematurely die from complications.

Research:
Research on eating disorders is an on going process. But some study’s show that girls with ADHD have a greater chance of developing an eating disorder then those with out ADHD.

The best way to help a family member or friend you think that could have or are at risk of developing an eating disorder is talk, watch, and seek help from a doctor. What we say to our young people could and can affect them in very negative ways.

www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

www.stjosepsvilla.org

By: Sherry Martin

Overdose
By Hannah Thornton

The term overdose describes the ingestion or application of substances in quantities greater than they are recommended or generally participated.

The cause of a drug overdose is either by accidental overuse or by intentional misuse. The most common affects of drug overdose are: Coma, Irregular heart beat, muscle cramps, hallucinations,seizures and shakings. Teens overdose because of numerous of factors including:Factors within teh family, a coping mechanism, pleasure, pain management and depression. There are two different types of overdose. These are :opiate and stimulant.

Drug addiction causes the pathways inside the brain to be altered. Physical changes in the nerve cells are brought on by the drug.
These cells (neurons) communicate with each other releasing neurotransmitters into the gaps or synapses between the nerve cells. This makes some drugs more addictive than others.
Prevention strategies
Some ways to avoid overdose happening again include:
Maintain a healthy lifestyle - don't smoke, have regular exercise and maintain a healthy diet.
Avoid drugs of any kind unless advised by a doctor.
Always warn a doctor of a previous overdose.
Always read the labels carefully.
Keep all drugs and poisons locked away in a safe secure place
21.8 million Americans age 12 or older use illegal drugs.The most abused illicit drug is marijuana with 14.6 million drug users

Teen Stress
By Zach Hays

Teen stress is something that most people never really understand or fully realize. It’s something so common that most people never really realize the type of effect it has on our youth. Stress is so common that it is reported that at least 85% of young people will feel stress at least sometimes (1). Stress is almost inevitable. Teens go through many different things that are very stressful. These things may include school, puberty, family, friends, jobs, money, relationships, etc. Out of all of these things, school is the most common source of stress for 13-17 year olds (1). Jobs and financial matters are the most common source of stress for 18-24 year olds (1). When it comes to finances, household income plays a role as well. A study shows that teens who live in a middle income household ($50,000-$75,000) experience stress more frequently than those who live in a lower and higher income household (1). This is because people from the higher income households don’t feel that financial stress that the lower and middle income families do. The lower income families don’t have as much stress because those teens don’t have that sense of doing good in school or going to college. Along with the household income comes where the teen may reside. A study shows that those that live in urban areas experience more stress than those that live in rural areas (1). This is due to the lifestyle experienced in those areas.

Stress will always be a part of teen’s lives. This is why teens need to learn how to handle that stress. According to essortment.com, stress can be prevented in 5 different ways.

1) Develop a positive attitude. Being optimistic helps reduce stress.
2) Get support from parents, friends, teachers, or school counselors
3) Physical exercise also is a good stress reliever. Teens who participate in sports get to temporarily get there mind off of things that may be stressing them out.
4) Helping others is also a good way to relieve stress. This is because if you are helping somebody solve there problem then you may not be so worried about your problem.
5) Maintain good health. Things such as junk food, caffeine, and drugs only add onto the stress that a teen may feel.

Good health is a very important part in a teen’s life. If a teen is stressed out they may experience things such as insomnia, lack of appetite, over eating, nausea, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, etc (3). Lack of stress management can also lead to problems such as eating disorders. Approximately 1% of adolescent girls develop anorexia nervosa and 2-3% develops bulimia nervosa. It is estimated that 1 in 10 cases of anorexia can lead to death (4).

Teens going through a lot of stress may be at risk of suicide. There are nearly 5,000 cases of suicide each year (4). This makes suicide the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15-24 (5). Another interest fact is that the ratio of suicide from male to female is 4 to 1 but women attempt it 4 times more frequently (5). This is because males often attempt suicide in a more lethal and quick way like using a gun. Along with these stats I found a survey asking: If you thought a friend might try to kill himself or herself, would you tell somebody? Stats show that 49.58% said yes, 17.65% said no, and 32.97% weren’t sure what they would do. This is because teens talk or joke around with it, so when there are actual warning signs, they may not be taken seriously.

Teen obesity used to be a rare disease in America, but today you will see more obesity among teens than ever before! 9 million teens in America below 15 years of age are obese. In just two decades, the percent of obese teens has almost tripled.

What is Obesity?
• “Obesity is an excessive accumulation of body fat such that individuals are at least 20 percent heavier than their ideal body weight. Overweight is defined as any weight in excess of the ideal range. Obesity is a common eating disorder associated with adolescence.”
• A couple of pounds of extra body fat are not a health risk for most people. But when people keep up a pattern of eating more calories than they burn, more fat builds up.

Causes of Obesity:
• There are many reasons that teens today are obese. Some of the major factors are—overeating, less activity, or inactivity, and excess TV viewing. Many TV studies have shown teen having a TV in their rooms have the tendency to watch it more, which leads to inactivity, which is the main reason for teen obesity.

Not only does obesity weaken the teen’s physical health, it can also lead to social disabilities, loneliness and unhappiness.
Statistics:
• One third of all kids between the ages of 2 and 19 are overweight or obese.
• 14% of adolescents in the United States are overweight.
This is crazy. This statistic just goes to show that younger people are now developing health problems that used to only affect adults.

How to Prevent Obesity:
Eating a healthy diet is the first step to preventing obesity. Regular exercise and avoiding TV are also crucial to keep you healthy and lessen the causes of obesity.
There are also many activities you can participate in to reduce teen obesity:
Playing basketball, tennis, volleyball, racket ball, going to a skate park, go swimming.
EAT BREAKFAST! (a study done by WebMD)

A new study shows that teenagers who eat breakfast eat a healthier diet and are more physically active throughout their adolescence than those who skip breakfast. Eating breakfast may help the teen avoid overeating later in the day. 12%-34% of adolescence skip breakfast and this percentage rises with age.

Sources:
WebMD
Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Anorexia
By Nichole Walters

Anorexia is known to most of us as an eating disorder stemming from a deeply-rooted obsession with body-image, being thin, not gaining weight and anorexia suffers do not typically even want to eat, anymore or at all. They may constantly worry about how many calories they take in or how much fat is in their food. They may take diet pills, laxatives or water pills in order to lose weight. They may exercise too much.

Anorexics usually think they're fat, even though they're very thin. People with anorexia may get so thin that they look like they're sick. This physical manifestation of harmful intent to self, threatening all-round health and wellness and total well-being is disturbing and also prevalent in the teen population. Individuals suffering from anorexia, go to extreme lengths to keep themselves from gaining weight
The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders quotes some disturbing facts regarding eating disorders:

8,000,000 or more people in the United States have an eating disorder, 90% are women.
Victims may be rich or poor.
Eating disorders usually start in the teens but may begin as early as age 8.

Speculation and scientific research all try to understand and explain the causes of eating disorders – it is unknown what exactly triggers or causes something like anorexia for example, but possible explanations that are offered include:

feeling stressed out or upset about something in your life, or
feeling like you need to be "in control."
Society also puts a lot of pressure on people to be thin.

Although it is important for healthy eating habits and a balanced lifestyle to watch what we eat and to exercise, over-exaggerating, manipulating and/ or distorting our eating patterns and worrying about it anytime and all the time, is obsessive behaviour and leads to self-destructive choices and habits where, as an anorexic, you in fact do harmful things to your body because of this sick obsession about your weight – it envelopes you and your whole like and becomes an all-consuming activity and distorted thought process that can lead to a myriad of health problems not limited to : Stomach problems , Heart problems, Irregular periods or no periods in girls, Fine hair all over the body, including the face and dry, scaly skin.

Various treatment options exist, but the main priority on the road to recovery for anorexia patients are: (i) taking the first step in getting back to a normal weight. (ii) hospitalization and re-hydration (iii) physicians might recommend dietary counseling to learn how to pick healthy foods and eat at regular times. (iv) For both anorexics and bulimics, family and individual counseling and talking about your feelings about your weight and problems in your life is advisable and helpful.

Brooke Bursiek

Teen suicide rates are going up more and more. There are several causes to teen suicide and a big one is bullying. Bullying is used many different ways like online, texting, Facebook, twitter and in person. Suicide may also be caused from depression, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, sexuality, loss of friends or a mental illness. Teen symptoms are similar in ways to normal suicides. Some symptoms are suffering anxiety or depression, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, bizarre thoughts, eating disorders, or a history of being traumatized. For example being raped or molested as a child, seeing a death, having an abusive parent, having an alcoholic or drug addicted parent.

When it comes to teens there are more male suicides than female but females have three times as many attempts compared to males. They say this is because guys do it the easier way and girls are more cautious about it and try to overdose on drugs or cut themselves. If you ever know somebody who is talking about suicide or have any of the warning signs you cannot take it lightly. You must always take teen suicides seriously and take action. Ask them questions like if they are thinking about suicide or how they would do it. Also you should always offer support.

In conclusion you should never joke about suicide or take it as a joke at all. It is a very serious thing and you should always take serious action. There isn’t a cure for suicide but you can always seek help for the person who is talking about it or attempting suicide

Sexuality
By: Courtney Bloski

Sexuality is defined as how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings (feelings and behavior).Sexuality can be describe in three different ways; anatomic sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. Anatomic sex refers to the sex organs in which a person is born with. Meaning you are either a boy (penis and testicles) or a girl (breasts, uterus, vagina and ovaries). Gender identity is based on feelings. It relates to how a person feels inside. It could be whether you “feel” like a boy or a girl. And finally, sexual orientation begins once you hit puberty. It is the strong physical and emotional attractions to others. There are three different types of attraction; heterosexual (attracted to the opposite sex), homosexual (attracted to the same sex) and bisexual (attracted to both sexes). Many different factors influence a person’s sexual orientation including the society you live in, gender identity and anatomic sex. There are also a few other factors but they are not completely understood.

"All adolescents have sex lives, whether they are sexually active with others, with themselves, or seemingly not at all," and viewing adolescent sexuality as a potentially positive experience, rather than as something inherently dangerous, may help young people develop healthier patterns and make more positive choices regarding sex”-Ponton, Lynn (2000). The Sex Lives of Teenagers. New York: Dutton.

The world of sex is exciting to teens and they are anxious to explore it. The media plays a major role in influencing the teen populations’ interest in sexuality. From t.v shows, magazines, movies, billboard and music, sexuality has become the center piece of advertising and pulling people into buy, watch, or listen to what is being sold. Today more than 80% of movies have sexual content. 60% of today’s music videos portray sexual behavior and body movements. The media portrays sexuality in a very positive light. There is not much talk about the potential risks and consequences of sex. The two main risks and consequences of sex are getting pregnant or contracting a disease, such as an STD or HIV. The united states of American has the highest teen birth rate in the industrialized world. 1/3 of America’s teens become pregnant before the age of 20. And 25% of teens and 13% of adolescents who are sexually active become infected with a sexually transmitted disease each year. This works out to be about 3 million cases a year

There are two types of sex education that children receive in school. Depending on the beliefs of the school determines which method is taught. The first method of teaching is the “Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Program. This program strongly emphasizes abstinence from all sexual behaviors. It doesn’t teach children information on contraceptives, STD’s, masturbation etc. Because the school doesn’t cover all areas of sexuality it then becomes the parent’s job and responsibility to fill in any grey areas or questions the child may have. The second method of teaching is Comprehensive Sexuality Education. This education starts in kindergarten and continues through high school. It brings up topics appropriate for the age level of the children. This program covers a very broad area of information. If a child is receiving this type of information a parents may be concerned that their child knows too much, but it is better to have well educated than not educated at all.

Teen Suicide (Warning Signs)

Mikaela Reiff

Teen suicide is a very real problem in the United States and much more common than you might expect. The sad thing is many time the suicide could have been prevented, if someone had just noticed the warning signs. Part of this is paying attention to what’s going on in the teenager’s life and knowing how they feel and the thing’s they’re doing. The other part is recognizing when something is going wrong. If any of the warning signs listed below are noticed, it’s important to take them seriously.

Warning Signs of Teen Suicide

Disinterest in favorite extracurricular activities

Problems at work and losing interest in a job

Substance abuse, including alcohol and drug (illegal and legal drugs) use

It’s important to remember that not all of these signs are for sure indicators that a teen is thinking about, or planning, a suicide. Sometimes the individual could just be going through a hard time, but regardless if more than one of these are present and are constant over a two week period, it’s important to seek help. The best way to prevent a teen suicide is to talk and ask questions.http://www.teensuicide.us/articles2.html